An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2 eBook

The Minerva, having touched at Rio de Janeiro,
had brought many articles for sale, as well from that
Port as from England, most of which were much wanted
by the inhabitants; but the prices required for them
were such as to drain the colony of every shilling
that could be got together.

With the Minerva arrived the Fhynne,
a small snow from Bengal, under Danish colours, which
had been chartered by the officers of the colony civil
and military, through the means of an agent whom they
had sent thither for that purpose. She was freighted
on their account with many articles of which they
were much in want; and as more labour could be obtained
for spirits than for any other mode of payment, an
article so essential to the cultivation of their estates
was not forgotten.

On the evening of the 18th (which had been observed
as the birthday of her Majesty) a convict, in attempting
to go alongside the Minerva, although repeatedly
told to keep off, was shot by the sentinel, who was
afterwards tried, and acquitted, having only executed
his orders.

The decision of this affair was prompt, and unattended
with any doubt or difficulty; but not so was another
business that had engaged the attention of the criminal
court. The natives having murdered two men who
possessed farms at the Hawkesbury, some of the settlers
in that district determined to revenge their death.
There were at this time three native boys living with
one Powell, a settler, and two others, his neighbours.
These unoffending lads they selected as the objects
of their revenge. Having informed them, that
they thought they could find the guns belonging to
the white men, they were dispatched for that purpose,
and in a short time brought them in. Powell and
his associates now began their work of vengeance.
They drove the boys into a barn, where, after tying
their hands behind their backs, these cowardly miscreants
repeatedly stabbed them, until two of them fell and
died beneath their hands. The third, making his
escape, jumped into the river, and, although in swimming
he could only make use of his feet, yet under this
disadvantage, and with the savage murderers of his
companions firing at him repeatedly, he actually reached
the opposite bank alive, and soon joined his own people.

The governor, on being made acquainted with this circumstance,
immediately sent to the place, where, buried in a garden,
the bodies of these unfortunate boys were found, stabbed
in several places, and with their hands tied as has
been described. Powell and his companions in this
horrid act were taken into custody, and, a court being
convened, they were tried for the wilful murder of
two natives.

The evidence that was brought before the court clearly
established that the deceased had come to their death
by the means of the prisoners; and the members of
it were unanimously of opinion that they were guilty
of killing two natives; but, instead of their receiving
a sentence of death, a special reference was made
to his Majesty’s minister, and the prisoners
were admitted to bail by the court.